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Over the last month, we’ve put a big focus on self-discovery during our WIN and Knight Time periods. Students spent time understanding their personal strengths and what it means to be a great learner, looking at our Profile of a Graduate to see how today's efforts build a strong future. They also learned key skills like setting goals and how to persevere when things get tough.
Now that our WIN and Knight Time groups are fully established, we are truly excited to see the growth that will happen in these specialized environments. While one key goal is bridging academic gaps and helping students reach grade-level proficiency, these periods are also designed to be an engaging time for smaller group work. This atmosphere also allows students to focus on real-life skills like problem-solving, collaboration, and critical thinking that go beyond the textbook.
--Mr. Hoffacker
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🏆 Knights of the Month 🏆
The Knights of the Month are selected by their teachers for best representing
the qualities of a Knight, by being Respectful, Responsible, and Ready to Learn!
🎉 Congratulations to the following students! 🏰
We are proud to recognize these students for being selected as September Knights of the Month!
These outstanding students were chosen by their teachers for consistently demonstrating what it means to be a Knight — by being Respectful, Responsible, and Ready to Learn each and every day.
👏 Keep up the great work, and thank you for being shining examples for your peers!
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🌟5th Grade - Zachary Weatherly
Zachary consistently demonstrates the qualities of a true knight by being respectful, responsible, and ready to learn. He works well both independently and in group settings, serving as a positive role model for his peers. Zach is always prepared for class with his assignments and materials, and he treats both classmates and teachers with kindness and respect. His genuine care for others and strong work ethic make him a valued classroom community member. Zach shows his readiness to learn by consistently striving to do his best in all that he does. His dedication and positive attitude are evident in his daily efforts, and we are very proud of him for always giving his best.
🌟 5th Grade - Madelyn Metcalf
Madelyn truly exemplifies what it means to be a Fairfield Knight! She is consistently respectful, responsible, and ready to learn. Whether working in groups or independently, Madelyn shows kindness, cooperation, and a willingness to help her classmates. She comes to class fully prepared with her assignments and materials and puts forth her best effort in everything she does — from classwork to homework. Madelyn's kindness and her positive attitude make her an outstanding role model for others.
We are incredibly proud of Madelyn and all the hard work she has put in to start the new year — way to go!
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🌟 6th Grade - Connor Brady
Connor exhibits the qualities of a knight by being respectful, responsible, and ready to learn. He is considerate in his interactions with classmates and adults. He is helpful as he hands out materials to his group members at the start of each social studies class. He is patient and respectful when dealing with challenges with his peers. He demonstrates responsibility by following routines even if the teacher is not there. In math class, he advanced the daily warm up screen and instructed his peers to go ahead and work on the next daily warm up while they were waiting for Mr. Barnes. Integrity means doing what you are supposed to do even when no one is watching, and Connor did just that. He demonstrates readiness to learn by showcasing active listening skills in class, removing distractions, and locking in on instruction. We are very proud of Connor and the example he sets for his peers.
🌟 6th Grade - Elizabeth Toohey
Elizabeth demonstrates the qualities of a knight by being respectful responsible, and ready to learn. She shows respect by obeying quiet signals and giving her attention to the teacher. She shows her responsibility by staying on task to complete work to the best of her ability, both independently and in groups. She has shown assertive leadership in social studies class by encouraging her group to stay on task and keep volume under control. She demonstrated leadership with respectful undertones when working with others in math class. I have been impressed with her self advocacy when she is having difficulty concentrating to first respectfully asking a peer to please be quieter so she can concentrate. When returning from an absence she immediately checked to make sure she had all of the work she had missed demonstrating her responsibility. She shows she is ready to learn by frequently participating in class discussions. We are very proud of Elizabeth and her hard work this month!
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🌟7th Grade - Gavin Littleton
Gavin is an exemplary student and a shining example of what it means to be a Fairfield Knight. He consistently comes to class prepared and treats both his peers and teachers with kindness and respect. Gavin maintains a positive attitude even when faced with challenges or changes in the classroom. He is well liked by his classmates, collaborates well with others, and is truly a pleasure to have in class. Gavin demonstrates the values and spirit of a true Knight every day.
🌟7th Grade - Samantha Jones
Samantha is an exceptional student and another outstanding representative of what it means to be a Fairfield Knight. She arrives to class each day fully prepared and ready to learn, always bringing a bright smile and a positive attitude. Samantha greets her teachers warmly, listens attentively, asks questions when needed, and consistently puts forth her best effort. Her respectful demeanor and joyful presence make her a delight to teach and a model of Knightly character.
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🌟 8th Grade - Micah Sewell
Micah is the type of student who consistently comes to class prepared and ready to learn. He is polite, engaged, and frequently volunteers in class discussions—always offering thoughtful contributions that enhance the learning environment. Micah’s respectful and cooperative attitude, combined with his strong academic performance, make him a standout choice for Fairfield Knight of the Month.
🌟 8th Grade - Paisley Goetz
Paisley is an exceptional student with an outstanding work ethic. She not only meets current academic expectations but also anticipates future assignments, often working ahead and producing top-quality work. Her dedication, reliability, and willingness to contribute to class discussions make her an excellent role model and a perfect recipient of the Fairfield Knight of the Month honor.
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Math / Algebra:
We are pleased to share that our class has successfully completed the first chapter on Solving Equations! Students demonstrated impressive resilience and determination as they worked through some challenging problems, and we couldn’t be prouder of their progress.
Next, we’ll be diving into exponents, where students will explore exponent properties, rules, and scientific notation. This unit offers exciting opportunities to apply prior knowledge in new and meaningful ways. Thank you for your continued support—your encouragement truly strengthens our classroom community!
Science:
The year is off to a strong start! We’ve just wrapped up our Ocean Powered unit and are beginning our next exciting chapter: Asteroid Alert! In this unit, students will explore our solar system, near-Earth objects, impact craters, and the geological formation of Earth.
We have multiple hands-on labs planned to give students a deeper understanding of Earth’s lithosphere and the forces that have shaped it over time. We’re looking forward to an engaging and insightful learning experience!
English Language Arts:
ELA students have just completed their first novel project of the year, focusing on Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman. They practiced close reading strategies and literary analysis, culminating in a well-structured academic essay.
We are now deep into Unit 1: Gadgets & Glitches, where students are exploring the essential question: Does technology improve or control our lives? Through both literature and real-life reflections, students are discovering the irony—and humor—of how advanced technology can sometimes complicate things, only to be "rescued" by simpler, older methods. It’s been an insightful and often entertaining journey!
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📚 7th Grade ELA with Mrs. Dusenberry
Students have been engaging with a variety of compelling texts, including Frederick McKissack's Women in Aviation , Langston Hughes's Thank You Ma’am, and Amy B. Wang's A Police Stop. Students have been building their reading comprehension skills and expanding their communication abilities by learning and applying new vocabulary terms. A recent highlight was the completion of a short informational essay where students independently selected and researched a historical female aviator. Looking ahead, students are set to begin their end-of-unit writing and listening projects at the close of next week. — Mrs. Dusenberry
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🌍 Social Studies with Mr. Garza
In social studies we have been covering water systems on Earth, and various climate zones found on Earth. This led us to a lesson on Pennsylvania’s watersheds and water ways. Students had fun pronouncing river names like the Youghiogheny, and Monongahela river. And also locating Pennsylvania water ways using only geography skills such as: cardinal directions, relative locations, and various maps, and satellite images of these physical features. Students worked hard on our water on Earth lessons, with many volunteering to share examples of times they have spent near rivers or lakes recently.
- Mr. Garza
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On Tuesday, 9/9 Mrs. Kemp's husband, Master Police Officer, Douglas Kemp of the Frederick City police department visited the 6th grade class as a Profile of a Graduate interview subject. During the first few weeks of the school year, students spent time in Knight Time learning about the six pillars of profile of a graduate. They created slideshows to illustrate their understanding of each of the six major vocabulary words. As a culminating activity, 6th graders developed interview questions to ask Officer Kemp about how the six different Profile of a Graduate skills were applicable to his profession in law enforcement. On the day of the interview, 25 students were given the list of questions the class had generated, and they took turns holding the microphone and asking Officer Kemp a question. With his 17 years of experience as a police officer and specialties in drone surveillance, CSI, field trainer, and firearms instructor, Officer Kemp shared a wealth of knowledge related to how he uses each and every one of the Profile of a Graduate skills in his profession. Students were deeply engaged and appreciated getting to see the real life application of Profile of a Graduate.
In WIN class, students used our brand new one button studio to record videos about how to demonstrate respect, responsibility, and readiness to learn in various locations around our school building. They enjoyed using the new technology and changing up the backgrounds on the green screen backdrop.
In Social Studies, students have completed their journey through time back to ancient Egypt where they learned about Egypt’s geography, pharaohs, famous landmarks, daily life in Egyptian social classes, battles of conquest with other civilizations, and the foundations of Judaism in the ancient land of Canaan. Next up, students will travel to ancient India to learn about its geography, religion, achievement, politics, economics, and social structure.
In Math, students are learning about integers and how we utilize our understanding of them. The activities being completed require students to understand and explain that positive and negative numbers represent opposite directions or values, be able to locate integers on number lines and coordinate planes, write and interpret statements of order for integers, and apply these concepts to real-world problems. We will be extending this to adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing integers as well as connecting to rational numbers; i.e. fractions and decimals.
In ELA class we have begun to work on the novel Holes by Louis Sachar. We did research on background information before starting to read the book. Students learned about the author, the setting of the book, and different main topics of the book including information on the juvenile justice system and what descendants are. We have begun reading the book while also studying new vocabulary words and completing comprehension questions. Students have also begun to learn and practice different grammar concepts. They have worked on multiple topics including complete sentences, pronouns, conjunctions, and commas. Students are continuing to work on their book report projects which includes writing about the book and creating a project to present.
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Fifth Grade Learning Update
Fifth grade is in full swing with exciting learning happening across all subject areas!
Math
We recently wrapped up two-digit multiplication and multiplying by powers of 10. Our students have truly become experts in place value and rounding! We’ve now moved on to U.S. long division. Although it’s a challenging process, the students are showing incredible persistence and determination. Their excitement when they arrive at the correct answer is truly rewarding to see!
ELA (English Language Arts)
In ELA, we’re learning how to write well-structured paragraphs. Students are practicing how to craft strong opening sentences, include several supporting details, and wrap up with a solid closing sentence. These skills will build into our upcoming letter essay writing unit, which begins in early October.
Our classes have also been enjoying trips to the school library, getting to know all the wonderful resources it offers. In reading, we’ve begun the novel Because of Winn-Dixie. Ask your child about the main characters, setting, and plot—and see if they can explain the metaphor the main character uses to describe her father and what it means!
Social Studies
We are currently studying Native American cultural regions across North America. Before the marking period ends, we’ll begin exploring Early European Explorers. Then, with the start of the second marking period, we’ll transition from Social Studies to Science.
It’s exciting to see how much our fifth graders are learning and growing every day. Thank you for your continued support at home!
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📚 Classroom Update: Learning, Creating, and Shining Bright!
Our students have been very busy—and we couldn’t be more proud of their hard work and enthusiasm!
🌟 Knight Time Projects
During Knight Time, students explored the 6 Pillars of the Profile of a Graduate by creating thoughtful and creative posters. They were so proud of their work that we proudly displayed their posters on our classroom walls. It’s been wonderful to see their ideas and teamwork come to life!
📖 ELA Adventures
In ELA, we’ve been diving into texts from a variety of genres. Students are sharpening their skills by:
Making predictions before reading Identifying the genre of each passage Making personal connections to the text Identifying the main idea Summarizing key points Reflecting back to the text to answer comprehension questions
They’re growing into thoughtful and reflective readers!
➗ Math in Motion
In Math, students have been practicing:
Multiplying one- and two-digit numbers Solving real-world multiplication word problems Mastering Place Value Adding and Subtracting Decimals Rounding numbers with confidence
A highlight of the week?
Getting to hear Mrs. Bechtel and Ms. Robin perform The Rounding Rap Song! 🎤 It was a fun and memorable way to reinforce key concepts!
🌟 A Great Start to the Year
Students have now settled into their routines and are working incredibly hard. Their dedication, positive attitudes, and bright personalities truly shine in everything they do.
We are so proud of each and every one of them!
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This month Fairfield Middle School students will resume their career planning goals with SmartFutures, an engaging online program aligned with Pennsylvania career standards. In our classroom guidance lessons, students will explore careers, identify their interests and abilities, learn about entrepreneurship, goal setting, resume writing, and how to conduct career research. As students complete the activities, they are automatically building an online career portfolio to help them plan for the future. To learn more about SmartFutures, please visit www.smartfutures.org.
Warm regards,
Mrs. Barkdoll
Middle School Counselor
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HS/MS Library and high school courtyard.
Parents and students: You are invited to an open house to explore the newly renovated HS/MS Library and high school courtyard.
We are excited for you to see these new spaces and the opportunities that they will bring for all of our students. Please join us on Wednesday, October 8th from 4-6pm . You can come explore the spaces, interact with teachers to learn about the new technologies available, and visit the courtyard for light refreshments.
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Middle School Band and Chorus Update
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🎉 Fundraiser Coming Soon!
Attention band and chorus students in grades 7–12:
Keep an eye out for details about our upcoming
October/November fundraiser with The Freckled Moose! We'll be selling
Butter Braids and Cake Rolls—just in time for the Thanksgiving season.
Stay tuned for more information!
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🎶 Pippenfest Performance Shout-Out! 🎶
On Sunday, September 28, the 8th Grade Chorus performed alongside the High School Concert Band, High School Concert Choir, and High School Show Choir at Pippenfest, held in front of the Fairfield Fire Hall.
Congratulations to all the students who participated—your performance was absolutely amazing! You truly wowed the crowd with your amazing talent and energy!
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We’re excited to announce that Fairfield’s Got Talent is back and better than ever!
🗓️ Show Dates:
Public Performance: October 2nd at 6:30 PM Student Performance (during school, students only): October 3rd
Whether you love to sing, dance, act, play an instrument, tell jokes, or help behind the scenes, there’s a place for YOU in the show!
👏 Who Can Participate?
We welcome:
You don’t need a special talent to be part of the fun—just a positive attitude and willingness to try something new!
Let’s make this our best show yet—we can’t wait to see Fairfield’s amazing talent shine on stage!
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October is a Busy Month for FAMS Student Council!
The FAMS Student Council has an exciting month ahead! In celebration of Homecoming, we’ll be hosting a variety of events, including:
In addition, we’re kicking off our first fundraiser of the year — an R & K Sub Sale! Proceeds from this and future fundraisers will help cover the cost of field trips and other student activities.
All fundraising details and event updates can be found on the FAMS webpage.
Student Council meets every other Wednesday after school until 4 p.m. If you're interested in joining or have any questions, please contact Mrs. Kozack.
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FAMS Homecoming Penny Wars |
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FAMS Homecoming Spirit Week |
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FAMS Homecoming Hall Decoration Contest |
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Our district has amazing faculty and staff that deserve to be celebrated! 🎉
Please take a moment to nominate an outstanding Fairfield Area School District employee!
Do you know a teacher, staff member, or colleague who goes above and beyond? Whether you're a coworker inspired by a fellow employee, a parent impressed by your child's teacher, or a student impacted by a dedicated staff member, we want to hear about them!Nominate someone today for the Shining Knight recognition and help us celebrate those who make a difference every day! ✨
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Please use the tab above for nomination form to nominate any FASD employee.
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🏫 First Parent-Teacher Conferences
We’re looking forward to connecting with families at our first Parent-Teacher Conferences of the school year! This is a great opportunity to discuss your child’s progress, celebrate successes, and work together to support continued growth.
📅 Date: Wednesday, October 8
🕒 Time: 3:30 PM – 7:00 PM
📍 Location: Fairfield Middle School
These conferences are a key part of building strong partnerships between home and school. We encourage all parents and guardians to attend!
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📣 Meet Our New Attendance Coordinator – Miss Sites!
We’re thrilled to welcome Miss Sites as our new Attendance Coordinator for Middle School and High School! She will be your primary point of contact for all things attendance-related.
Whether you’re:
Miss Sites is here to help!
Welcome to the team, Miss Sites — we’re so glad to have you!
📝 Need to Send a Note? It’s Easy!
Option 1: Go old-school
Handwrite a note and send it in with your student. ✍🏻
Option 2: Send an email
📩 Email Miss Sites directly at: sitesc@fairfield.k12.pa.us
👉 Be sure to include the reason your student was absent or late.
⏰ A Few Friendly Reminders:
Thank you for helping us keep attendance on track. We’re looking forward to a great school year!
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Going out of town? A Family Vacation?
You'll need to complete an Educational Journey Form. Students are allowed 5 educational journey days per year. Please submit your Educational Journey Form online or send in with your student. Please try and get it in at least 10 days prior to your trip.
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